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MYSTERIES OF THE TALLIT, THE TZITZIT AND THE TEKHLET<br />
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Elijah <strong>and</strong> Elisha<br />
The Prophet Elijah passed his mantle on to Elisha in II Kings 2. Many believe that<br />
this mantle was actually his Talis <strong>and</strong> was symbolic <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> power <strong>of</strong> prayer that<br />
Elijah had saturated that mantle with. This mantle that Elijah left behind as he was<br />
taken up by a whirlwind into heaven, was what Elisha struck <strong>and</strong> parted <strong>the</strong> waters<br />
with. Elijah's mantle was a status symbol.<br />
It will be remembered that Jesus castigated <strong>the</strong> Pharisees for enlarging <strong>the</strong>ir fringes<br />
(Matt. 23:5), <strong>the</strong> inference being that <strong>the</strong>y were <strong>the</strong>reby trying to magnify <strong>the</strong>ir<br />
importance. Despite this, he must sometimes have worn one himself as <strong>the</strong> story <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> woman who touched <strong>the</strong> hem <strong>of</strong> his garment suggests [Luke 8:43, 44]. What<br />
was <strong>the</strong> significance <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> hem <strong>of</strong> His garment <strong>and</strong> how did she know touching it<br />
would heal her? O<strong>the</strong>r people, too, were healed by touching <strong>the</strong> borders or tassels<br />
<strong>of</strong> his clo<strong>the</strong>s [Mark 6:56].<br />
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